By Tiffany Williams –
WORCESTER, Mass. — The Worcester Red Sox continued their strong play against a series of rehabbing major league stars Friday night, defeating the Buffalo Bisons 6-3 at Polar Park while handing future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer a loss in his latest rehabilitation start.
One night after defeating Toronto Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease, Worcester collected five hits and three runs against Scherzer over 3 2/3 innings as the WooSox earned their second consecutive victory and improved their position in the six-game series.
Every batter in Worcester’s lineup reached base safely and eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit. Tsung-Che Cheng led the offensive attack with two hits, three RBIs and two stolen bases. Jason Delay, Mikey Romero and Tyler McDonough each had multiple-hit games and doubled, while Matt Lloyd added a solo home run.
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, eight-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, was making a rehabilitation appearance while working his way back from injuries that have kept him on Toronto’s injured list since April 27.
The WooSox also received encouraging news on the pitching side as left-hander Patrick Sandoval began his second rehabilitation assignment of the season.
Sandoval was initially scheduled to pitch one inning but returned to the mound after an efficient first inning and recorded the first out of the second before departing. He finished with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and one walk while throwing 16 pitches, 11 for strikes.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 26, 2024. Sandoval previously made two rehabilitation starts with Worcester from April 8-20 before being removed from his rehab assignment after experiencing bicep tightness.
Worcester broke through against Scherzer in the bottom of the third inning.
Max Ferguson opened the inning with a single before Tyler McDonough doubled to left field. After one out, Tsung-Che Cheng delivered a sharp single to right field, driving in both runners and giving Worcester a 2-0 lead.
Buffalo answered with a run in the fourth inning, but Worcester quickly regained momentum in the bottom half when Matt Lloyd connected for a solo home run, his third of the season, over the Worcester Wall.
Following a walk and a strikeout, Scherzer’s outing came to an end. The veteran right-hander allowed five hits and three runs over 3 2/3 innings while walking one and striking out five. He threw 73 pitches, including 44 strikes.
The WooSox added two more runs in the fifth inning.
Jason Delay started the rally with a single before Mikey Romero doubled. Allan Castro followed with a two-run single, extending Worcester’s lead to 5-1.
Raymond Burgos provided key relief after replacing Sandoval in the second inning. Burgos escaped trouble throughout his outing, inducing a double-play ground ball in the fourth inning and another double play to end a bases-loaded threat in the sixth.
Braiden Ward contributed one of the night’s top defensive plays, making a diving catch against the center-field fence to help preserve Worcester’s advantage.
Burgos earned his first victory of the season, improving to 1-3 after allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings while striking out four.
The victory continued a successful stretch for Worcester against high-profile rehabilitation assignments from Toronto’s pitching staff. After facing Dylan Cease and Max Scherzer in consecutive games, the WooSox are scheduled to see another former Cy Young Award winner on Saturday.
Buffalo is expected to start right-hander Shane Bieber in Game 5 of the series against Worcester left-hander Alec Gamboa.
Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner, has been on Toronto’s 60-day injured list since March 22 because of elbow inflammation related to a previous Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old made seven starts for the Blue Jays last season, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.57 ERA, and added five postseason starts during Toronto’s playoff run.
Game 5 of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at Polar Park.